10 things i learned in gainesville, georgia

On November 21st my squad parted ways for what we thought would be a short Thanksgiving break.

It was November 27th, however, when all of Gap year opened up their emails to an announcement we hadn’t envisioned for our experience.  

“We have come to the conclusion that the best way to do that (ensure safety) is to have all four September squads ‘go virtual’ from now until your scheduled arrival back to campus in early January.”

Not exactly what we expected. 

My time in Gainesville, Georgia was one of the sweetest seasons of my life by far. 

The Lord has changed my character immensely and driven me to deeper faith than before. I met the best people to do life with and have seen this same change take place in their lives as well. While the race isn’t over, my time camping in the woods a few states away, is. 

My squad will head back to Georgia for a few short days and then launch internationally in January. As always, the Lord has changed a few of those plans as well – we are no longer going to our original countries! Due to COVID-19 restrictions it would be immensely difficult and unsafe to travel to some countries on our route – therefore, we’ve been rerouted! I will be posting a very exciting blog about this soon!

For now, I’m spending time at home reflecting on the past 2 1/2 months of my life. As hard as it is to be in this season, when we all expected two more weeks in Georgia, I’m very grateful for the time to rest and press into the uncomfortable. 

The Race has been everything I didn’t imagine if I’m being honest. The Lord surprised me in many ways – and I’m better for it!

So with that being said, here’s 10 things I learned while living on a ministry base in Gainesville, Georgia:

1. FREEDOM !!

     Before the race, I didn’t walk in much freedom if I’m being honest. I had a great relationship with Christ, living in biblical community, dove deep into scripture, etc. But there was always something holding me back from living in my truest identity as a daughter of Christ. In Georgia we broke down walls and opened up in vulnerability to our teams, the squad, and also with individuals! One moment I remember so vividly is the day after all the women of my squad had come together for a “Stand Up for Your Sister” night. All we could do was jump around and give hugs and talk of the freedom we were experiencing. I’ve seen ALL of these ladies carry themselves differently since this day! Something the Lord spoke over me recently as well is that freedom is never ending – it has no limits, never stops, and He is willing to give us more and more. Constantly receiving this freedom and letting it overflow to those around me. 

2. Community…

     One of Adventure’s in Missions biggest values – Community – and one of the BEST things about World Race. Waking up every morning to the same faces, with a ‘yes’ in our spirits to love each other well and call our brothers and sisters higher. Community is definitely hard sometimes: Not everyone is in bed at quiet hours, the porta potties get full, maybe you can’t get some alone time, etc. But our leaders, and each racer, has chosen to make this an environment where you don’t quit and you keep pressing in. We fight for each other! And in this season of life where we are all at home and can’t be with one another, I MISS THEM!! There is a deep sense of love for this family!

3. Peanut Butter is a Best Friend

     A snack. A meal. Dessert. A gift. Bargaining tool. Form of currency? 

     Always have a spoon handy!

4. It’s Worth Sleeping in a Tent

     When I signed up for the race over a year ago I had plans to travel so many places and live in so many different rooms with my team! Little did I know that months later I’d be in the middle of Georgia woods sleeping in a tent. Some nights where hot and humid, while others cold enough for multiple layers. Even found myself in a hammock for a few weeks! As unexpected as it was, I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

     P.S.: Always be ready for a change! You never know when you are moving campsites, inside for the night (or weekend… or week), to Louisiana, etc. 

5. You Never Know Enough

     Before the race I had a solid relationship with the Lord. You could find me in and out of the church building, having great conversations about Christ, and maybe even reading my bible! At the time I actually felt like I had it together and was ready for this crazy race journey! And boy oh boy was I wrong. Turns out I had a lot of humbling to walk through and more perspective to gain. Now I see this endless well of grace and truth being offered up to me. It’s a crazy concept to wrap my mind around, how I will never know enough but I get to keep on learning more. Through it I’m going to stumble, have revelations, see and hear new things, etc. and at the end of the day there is MORE! Thanks God!

6. The Fitness Hike is Hard

     This is not what I thought I would be writing about in this blog. But here we go: The Fitness Hike. If you didn’t know already there is this fun ‘little’ hike you have to go through with your squad during training. A few miles, half an hour, and all your stuff on your back. We went in confident and so sure of our capability. But, within 5 minutes I wasn’t sure if I would finish, let alone on time. For some this was just a hard thing to do physically, but I found myself being spiritually challenged and learning so much. Visions of Jesus and Paul and my ability to do anything! When I felt I couldn’t move my legs they somehow kept on moving. My friends (who are now family) came alongside me and sometimes it felt they were dragging me. “You can do hard things.” This phrase was on repeat in my mind and being shouted from every other person. And it’s true! Life is hard and we can conquer it with Christ. We will suffer, but He suffered first. Jesus carried a cross up a hill after being tortured and mistreated. A 2.2 mile hike with a nice osprey backpack could never compare to the sacrifice He made on Calvary. 

     Special shout out to Mo and Nicole for basically carrying me through 🙂

7. Asking for/Accepting Help Doesn’t Mean You’re Weak !!!!!

     I’m a caretaker by nature. I want to help, encourage, and uplift everyone around me! It’s my drive in life, and it’s something I know as one of my strengths. But, something I didn’t realize until living in this community was that I often don’t let others help me, or I just don’t ask for it to begin with. Since helping others was my strong suit, my mind instantly assumed being helped was a weakness. My time in Georgia has been a journey of renewing my mindset, and humbling myself. Even if it looked like asking Brook to help carry chairs, or maybe pulling Kailey aside for a quick debrief, this was growth in my journey. Funny enough, the one thing I thought would make me weak, has made me even stronger in Christ and a more effective warrior for His kingdom. 

8. Feedback is GOOD (and a little fun!)

     Every Thursday my team sits down for what we call ‘feedback’ on the race. We talk about all the things we are doing great in! How we see Jesus in each other and affirming all the good we see. But the flip side of it, is saying the hard thing. Maybe where we could look more like Jesus, or some things we need to work on. I remember being so nervous to start, since I’ve never been one for confrontation or saying uncomfortable things – I’ve cared to much about reactions! BUT WOW! Feedback is GOOD! And it’s been the hard things that’ve produced the most fruit. It has pushed my whole team to grow closer with each other and to who we are in Christ. One of my biggest constructive feedbacks in the beginning of the race was to allow others to love/help me when I need it, take care of myself, and make my needs known to those around me. And praise the Lord for growth! My whole team can attest to how far I’ve come, and even where I can continue to go. 

9. I’ve a Vessel for Overflow

     One of our last weeks in Georgia was full of sessions with representatives from Global U (one of AIM’s ministries/programs). We talked about our life dreams and visions! We are children with a PURPOSE! And while we all have a deep rooted purpose found in scripture, the Father has also crafted something so specific for each of us! I wrote a blog on this here. During one session a few of us racers got to come up on stage to share with the squad our core values (which we put together the day before). After sharing I was ready to find my chair again and continue on with the lesson, but the Lord had other plans! The speaker asked me questions and then brought the whole squad in on the activity. Before I knew it I was receiving affirmation from the room towards who I am in Christ and who I’ve been made to be. It was crazy confirmation and a beautiful space to be in. One phrase I came together with as a vision for my life is this: I am a vessel for overflow, freely giving what I have freely received. And I pray that would be the echo of my days. 

10. The Race Isn’t What I Thought…

     Long story short, the race is not at all what I thought it would be. Instead, I got this beautiful story of chaos and surrender all wrapped into 3 months of living in Gainesville, Georgia. And now 6 months on the field. More to come, and more to know. 

Just the beginning of what I began to learn and see during my semester with World Race Gap Year. Thank you to everyone who has been following the journey and investing into this season. Life is forever changed after a few short months and I’m excited to see where He continues to take me and my squad!

All the love, 

Gretchen 🙂